Butter-tray.



No. 785,952. PATENTED MAR. z8, 1905.

. A. o. HUMMER.

BUTTER TRAY.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.. 30, 1904.

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A TT ORNEK UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

BUTTER-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,952, dated March28, 1905.

Application filed March 30, 1904. Serial No. 200,769. i

T0 all whom, it muy concern.-

Beit known that I, ARTHUR CLENNING HUM- MER, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the countyof King and State ofA Wl'ashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Butter-Trays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trays for molding' butter, andhas for its objects to provide a simple and inexpensive device in'whicha comparatively large quantity of butter can be quickly molded anddivided into blocks of convenient size for shipment or for division intobricks of predetermined weight without waste and embodying essentialfeatures of adaptability, utility, and general efficiency whichfacilitates the division of the body of butter molded and the removal ofthe divisions from the tray.

The above-mentioned and other desirable objects are attained by theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as disclosed on theaccompanying drawings, set forth in this specification, and succinctlypointed out in the appended claims.

Vith reference to the drawings filed herewith and bearing like referencecharacters for corresponding parts throughout, Figure 1 is a plan viewof the tray with the parts assembled for molding butter. Fig. 2 is anedge view of one of the sections of the platform of the tray. Fig. 3 isa view of one of the handles for said sections. Eig. 4 is a longitudinalsection of the tray with parts assembled as shown in Fig. 1. Eig. 5 is aside view of the tray with the parts assembled for dividing the body ofbutter. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the tray with the partsassembled as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the traywith the parts assembled for molding butter. Eig. 8 is an end view ofthe tray with the parts assembled for molding butter, and Eig. 9 is aperspective View of the cutter employed to divide the body of butter.

This invention includes a suitable rectangular base 10 of extendedlength, a separable box 11, in which the butter is molded, removablyseated on the base, and vertical guides 12 and horizontal guides 14 forthe cutter, as l5, which are arranged in position for cutting after theside and end walls of said box have been removed. In the presentinstance the box 11 is of suitable size and form to mold the butter fordivision into a number of blocks of hexahedral shape and measuringsubstantially twelve by twelve by thirteen inches each, as a convenientsize for shipment and for division into bricks of predetermined weightfor the retail trade without waste, and this box comprises a platformcomposed of a suitable number of removable sections 16, equal in size tothe end surfaces of said blocks, and an adjustable casing fitting aboutsaid platform and comprising removable side and end walls, (marked,respectively, 17 and 18,) which fit against the side and end surfaces ofsaid platform and extend thereabove a distance equal to the length ofsaid blocks. The base 10 is somewhat greater in length and width thanthe aforesaid box and conveniently consists of three parallel sills 10,spaced apart, and cross-ties, as 19, secured tosaidsillsat the ends.Upon theupper surface of this base,ad jacent the ends and along the sideedges, are secured transverse cleats 2O and longitudinally-disposedcleats 21, between which the box 11 iits freely, and wedges, as 22, arearranged in pairs between the cleats and one side wall and one end wallof the box, and removable bearing-blocks 25 are placed between one endcleat and the adjacent end wall of the box and between the opposite endwall and adjacent pair of wedges. These bearing-blocks are provided withrabbets at the inner lower corner to receive freely the side edges ofshims, consisting of strips 26 of suitable thickness, which are placedtransversely on the base beneath the end walls and extend across thelower edges of the side walls, so as to increase the depth of the box incase the specific gravity of the butter is below standard, as issometimes the case. When the pairs of wedges 29. are set up,7 they serveto clamp the end walls of the box between the bearing-blocks and endsections 16 of the platform and one of the side walls between saidplatform and the side wedges and the opposite side wall between theplatform and adjacent side cleat, thereby securing IOO the walls inplace and the box on the base. To keep the side walls of the box fromspreading apart at the upper edges when packing butter in the box,removable ties, as 23, are provided and consist of bars formed withopposite laterally-projecting hooks arranged at suitable separation toembrace the said walls snugly, and to keep the end walls from spreadingapart vertical cleats 24 are secured to said side walls adjacent theends for the side edges of the end walls to bear against.

The guides 12 are preferably four in number and are adapted to guide thecutter 15 in making vertical cuts and are also used as standards tosupport the horizontal guides 14, and they are transferable, so thatthey can be set relatively to the abutting' edges of theplatform-sections 16 at opposite sides of the body of butter. Each guide12 conveniently consists of a fiat bar of suitable length having oneedge true and even for guiding the cutter and provided with adownwardly-projecting stem or tongue at the base end and a longitudinalslot 12', extending' downwardly from the upper end past the center. Thisslot is adapted to receive freely a clamp-bolt 14, by means of which therespective horizontal guide 14 is conveniently fastened at one end inadjusted positions, and the stems or tongues are of suitable size to fitsnugly in socket-holes, as 27, provided on the base 10 along each sidemargin at suitable points to receive said stems or tongues when theguides are set relatively to the abutting edges of the platform-sections16 or when set adjacent the corners of the base to act as standards.

The guides 14 are adapted to guide the cutter 15 in making horizontalcuts, and they consist of flat bars of somewhat greater length than thebox 11 and having the upper edge true and even for guiding the cutter,and these bars are provided with an aperture adjacent each end toreceive the clamp-bolts 14, which pass through said apertures and theslots 12' of the guide 12 when they are arranged as standards and carrythumb-nuts by means of which the horizontal guides are secured inadjusted positions.

The cutter 15 consists of asubstantially U- shaped frame of greaterwidth between the stems than the distance between the outer sidesurfaces of the horizontal guides when set in position for guiding thecutter and a cutterwire 15, secured to the free ends of said stems.

To facilitate lifting the platform-sections 16, suitable handles` as 28,are provided therefor, and these handles consist of sections of roundbars bent to substantially U shape and removably fitting' at the ends ofthe stems in suitable holes 29, which are formed in each of saidsections at opposite sides, so as to lie above the top surfaces of thecleats 21 when the sections are resting on the base. Furthermore, theplatform-sections are provided with grooves, as 16, in the top surfaceswhich are suitably arranged to receive the cutters ernployed to dividethe blocks into bricks, thus adapting the sections for use as platformsin a butter-cutter, and thereby avoiding the necessity of transferringthe blocks from the platform-sections for cutting, as the sections canbe lifted from the base with the blocks in place and set in position inthe butter-cutter for division into bricks.

To arrange the tray for molding butter, the platform-sections 16 areplaced side by side on base 10, the side and end walls of the casing areset in position, the wedges arranged and set up as heretofore set forth,and the ties 23 engaged with the side walls. 1f, however, the quantityof butter to be packed is not sufcient to fill the box to its normalcapacity, one end wall of the box is shifted inwardly and set with thelower edge between contiguous platform-sections, so as to reduce the boxto the desired capacity,and the wed ges are then setup. Furthermore, ifdesired to increase the depth of the box inside, shirns, as 26, ofsuitable thickness are placed beneath the side and end Walls thereof.After the box is filled with the butter the ties 28 are removed, and thecutter 15 can then be used, if desired, to trim the top surface of thebody of butter by dragging the cutter-wire thereof along the topedges ofthe side walls of the box. The walls of the casing of the box are nowremoved, leaving the body clear for removal or for division into blocksand sections. In proceeding to divide the body1 of butter the guides 12are arranged -as standards adjacent each corner of the base by engagingthe stems thereon in the socket-holes 27, provided in the base for thispurpose, the horizontal guides 14 are now secured to said standards atthe opposite sides of the body of butter by means of the clamp-bolts 14'and are set with the upper edges midway the depth of the body or at anypoint it is desired to make the cut, and the cutter is then used todivide the body longitudinally by dragging the cutter-wire along' theupper edges of the guides. These guides are then removed and` thevertical guides 12 transposed from the ends of the base to thesocket-holes adjacent the inner edges of the end platform-sections andset in position for guiding' the cutter, which is then used as before tomake vertical cuts through the body at these points. The vertical guidesare then again moved to the next sets of socket-holes and the cutteragain used, thus dividing the butter into blocks corresponding in numberto the platform-section and each of which blocks are divided midwaytheir height and can be readily lifted from the base for division intobricks or for shipment or storage by engaging the handles 28 in theholes 29 in the platform-sections.

By forming the platform of movable sections the casing of the box can bereadily ar- ICO ranged to mold a body of butter conforming in size toone or more blocks up to the normal capacity of the casing, and themolded blocks can be readily removed without danger of destroying theshape of the blocks by simply lifting the platform-sections.Furthermore, by embodying the vertical cutterguides with the tray thebody of butter can be quickly and accurately divided at abutting edgesof said lifting-sections, and by using the horizontal cutter-guides thebody can be readily divided longitudinally.

This device is simple and inexpensive of construction and the partsthereof can be readily assembled and adjusted for molding or dividingthe butter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

l. In a butter-tray, the combination with a base, and a platform, ofvertical cutter-guides transferable on the base, horizontalcutterguides, and means to removably attach said horizontal guides tothe vertical guides.

2. In a butter-tray, the combination with a base, of a platformcomprising a plurality of removable lifting sections, verticalcutterguides transferable on the base, horizontal cu tter-guides, andmeans to adjustably secure the horizontal guides to said verticalguides.

3. In a butter-tray, the combination with a base, of a platformcomprising a plurality of removable lifting sections, verticalcutterguides transferable on the base and acting as standards adjacentthe ends thereof,horizontal cutter-guides, and means to adjustablysecure the horizontal guides to said vertical guides for verticaladjustment.

4. In a butter-tray, the combination with a base, of a platformcomprising a plurality of removable lifting-sections, horizontalcutterguides comprising opposite bars, and means to removably mount saidguides on the base.

5. In a butter-tray, the combination with an elongated, rectangular basehaving opposite socket-holes adjacent the corners thereof and atsuitable intervals along the side edges, of a platform comprising aplurality of removable square lifting sections, vertically disposedtransferable cutterguides having stems fitting in said holes, andhorizontal cutter-guides mounted on the transferable guides when theyare engaged with the holes adjacent said corners.

6. In a butter-tray, the combination with a rectangular base havingopposite socket-holes arranged at suitable intervals along the edges, ofa platform comprising a plurality of removable lifting-sections arrangedon said base with the abutting edges adjacent said holes, andtransferable cutter-guides having stems fitting in said holes.

7. In a butter-tray, the combination with an elongated base, havingopposite cleats along the edges, of a platform comprising a plurality ofremovable lifting-sections, a casing fitting about said platform andcomprising removable side and end walls, wedges arranged in pairsbetween said cleats and casing at one end and one side of the casing,and cutterguides arranged on said base in position for cutting at theabutting edges of said sections when said casing is removed.

8. In a butter-tray, the combination with an elongated base, of aplatform comprising a plurality of removable lifting-sections, aseparable casing removably fitting about said platform, verticalcutter-guides transferable on the base, horizontal cutter-guides, andmeans to secure the horizontal guides to said vertical guides.

9. In a butter-tray, the combination with a base, a platform, and aremovable casing, of vertical cutter-guides transferable on said base,horizontal cutter-guides, and means to removably mount said horizontalguides on the vertical guides.

10. In a butter-tray, a base, vertical cutterguides on the base,removable horizontal cutter-guides connected to the same, and meanswhereby the vertical cutter-guides can be adjusted along the base whenthe horizontal cutter-guides are removed.

11. In a butter-tray, a base, vertical cutterguides mounted at each endthereof, and longitudinal horizontal cutter-guides disposed between thesame.

12. In a butter-tray, in combination with a base, and verticalcutter-guides mounted thereon, a plurality of adjustable horizontaldisposed cutter-guides.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 18th day of March, 1904.

ARTHUR CLENNING HUMMER.

Witnesses:

L. FRANK BROWN, THAD R. PERRY.

IOO

